Crimping bead flipper



Sept. 3, 1929.

' E. HUTcHENs CRIMPING BEAD FLIPPER Filed NOV- 27, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Sept- 3 1929- E. HUfrcHENs 1,726,987

CRIMPING BEAD FLIPPER Filed Now-27, 19.25l s sheets-sheet 2 sept- 3,19295 E. HU'rcHENs 1,726,987

CRIMPI NG BEAD FLIPPER Filed Nov- 2'?. 1925 5 sheets-sheet s j l mw 5756Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD HUTCHENS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO UTILITY MANU-FACTURING CO., OF CUDAHY, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

CRILIPING BEAD FLIPPER.

Application filed November This invention relates to bead `flippingmachines for wrapping fabric liipper strips around the beads used inpneumatic tires.

In my copending application, Serial No. 719,497, filed June 12, 1924,Patent No. 1,591,130, July 6, 1926, I have described a bead flippingmachine in some respects .similar to the present invention which is adevelopment thereof especially adapted to handle the more elastic gradesof fabric which tended to spring back after stretching. 1t is thereforean object of this invention to provide means for crowding or shorteningthe center portion of the flipper strip that contacts the bead, and tolay this fabric onto the bead, smoothing out the shortened center afterpositioning it on the bead. lft has been found that by varying theamount of this shortening or, crimping of the center of the fabric stripthat the conical angle of the outstanding flipper edges or skirt can beregulated or even turned backward, so great is the range of adjustmentpossible.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in al preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a complete machine embodying thefeature of the invention with a completed bead in position therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 showing themachine opened up for the insertion of a bead.

Figure 3 is a detailed plan view of the flipper strip crimpingmechanism.

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1 showing the drivingmechanism.

Figure 5 is a. detail view showing the operation of the first stitchingwheel.

Figure 6 is a detail View showing the operation of the second stitchingwheel.

Figure 7 is a detail view showing the operation of the third stitchingwheel.

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the operation of the folding rollers.

As shown on the drawings:

The embodiment chosen for illustration relates to the application of a.rubberized flipper strip 10 to a bead ring 11, the edges 12 of the stripbeing lapped to form an out- 27, 1525. Serial N0. 71,533.

standing conical ring or skirt 13 which is built into the carcass of apneumatic tire to reta-in the bead ring in position against the burstingpressure of the inflating air. It is therefore necessary to so form theoutstanding skirt 13 as to lie in the proper direction to fit smoothlywithin the side walls of the tire carcass at a predetermined angle.

The machine itself comprises a base 14 and column 15 upon which ismounted al bracket 16 supporting the driving motor 17 which actuates a.train of gears through a clutch 18 which is under manual control bymeans of the bell crank 19, rod 2O and footl lever 21. The train ofgears comprises a worm 22 and worm gear 23 with a pinion 24 engaging agear 25 which is keyed to a shaft 26 carrying the main or bull wheel 27as sho-wn in Figure 4.

The top of the column 15 supports a standard or backbone 28 which isapertured to form journals for all the driven elements operating withinthe bead ring. The various elements engaging the outer periphery of thebead ring are mounted on an arm 29 pivoted to the backbone at 30 andhaving a lever 31 conveniently located with regard to the operatorsposition to enable him to bring the elements on the arm into and out ofcontact with the work by means of the connecting link 32. To maintain anorderly presentation of the subject, the various elements will be takenup in the order in which they apply to the work.

The bead ring proper is guided and held from premature Contact with theflipper strip by means of a hook 33. The fabric is led up under the beadring over an adjustable guiding plate 34 which also serves to govern thestagger or overlap of the flipper edges. From the plate the fabricpasses over a driven crimping gear like roller 35, an adjustable idlingcrimper 36 bearing down thereon alongside the bead ring. The idler 36can lead or follow the driven crimping rolls, thus materially affectingthe crimp given the fabric and the depth it meshes into the crimpingrollers is also adjustable, the arm 37 carrying the idler being pivotedon the roller shaft 38 and clamped by the nut 39 in a slot. From thecrimper the fabric and bead advance between the rollers 40 and 41, thetwo rolls serving to fold the fabric up both sides of the bead. A. plate42 is pivoted on the shaft 43 driving the roll 40 and carries thecrimping and guiding mechanism heretofore described, the plate beingclamped in position by the bolt 44 and serving to adjust the machine tothe varying sizes and shapes of bead fillers to be covered.

After leaving the folding rollers, the two edges of the fabric aresensibly parallel as shown in Figure 5 and a series of stitching rollers45, 46 and 47 serve to progressively stitch and smooth out the fabricover the bead, the last roller acting to carry one edge of the fabrictowards the other edge, the bull wheel 27 and a spring urged idler 48completing the Contact between the edges of the fabric and smoothing outthe skirt into the desired conical section. The diiferential motion dueto the conical surfaces of the bull wheel and idler serve to rub out anyair pockets trapped between the fabric edges. The rollers 45, 46, 47 and48 are all adjustabiy mounted on the pivoted arm 29 and it is intendedto vary the angles of mounting of these rollers if necessary to providefor beads of varying cross section, such as clincher and straight sidebeads.

The gear train provided for driving the various inner rolls is shown indotted line in Figure 2 wherein an idler gear 49 enn gages between thebull wheel gear and the gear 50 on the folding roller shaft 4B, anotheridler gear 51 being interposed between the gear 50 and the gear (notshown) on the crimper shaft 38.

rllhe sequence of operations have been described above in thepresentation of the elements as they are brought tobear on the bead.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and l therefore do not purfposelimiting the patent granted hereon, votherwise than necessitated by the'prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. fn a machine of the class described, means adapted to crimp thecenter of a flipper strip and means adapted to fold said strip about abead filler.

2. ln a machine of the class described, means adapted to crimp thecenter of a flipper strip, means adapted to fold said strip about a beadfiller and means adapted to smooth out the skirt formed by theoutstanding edges of said flipper strip.

3. n a machine of the class described, means adapted to crimp the centerof a flipper strip, means adapted to fold said strip about la beadfiller and means adapted to smooth out said crimped portion of theflipper strip after applying to the bead flller.

4. The method of applying flipper strips to bead fillers comprisingcrimping the center portion of said strip and folding the strip aboutsaid bead filler.

5. r)The method of applying flipper strips to bead fillers comprisingcrimping the center portion of said strip, folding the strip about saidbead li-ller and stitching said strip to the bead to smooth out thecrimped portion thereof.

6. The method of applying flipper strips to bead fillers comprisingcrimping the strip material to produce an excess thereof, vfolding' thesame about said bead filler and stitching it about the bead to smoothout the crimped portion thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EDE/JARD HUTCHENS.

